Beef rendang, West Sumatran style
Real rendang is not a curry but a stew that slowly dries out. You start with lots of liquid and coconut milk, and over four hours it all evaporates until the meat is dark brown and coated in a thick, almost dry layer of spices. In West Sumatra, rendang is traditionally made for celebrations because it keeps for days. Make the bumbu (spice paste) fresh, because that's where the flavour is. This dish takes time, and you're rewarded with a depth of flavour no ready-made version can match.
- 8 shallots
- 6 garlic cloves
- 5 cm fresh ginger
- 5 cm fresh galangal (or extra ginger)
- 3 cm fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground)
- 4 red chillies (deseeded for milder)
- 2 lemongrass stalks (white part only)
1 Clean everything and chop roughly. Put it in a food processor or tall beaker and blend into a smooth paste. Add 2 tbsp water to help it blend if needed.
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (or sunflower oil)
2 Heat the pan first. Then heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Fry the bumbu for 8 to 10 minutes: the paste cooks through, loses its raw sharpness and the oil separates at the edges. In Indonesia this is called pecah minyak: the oil breaks through.
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 8 fresh lime leaves (or dried)
3 Add all the spices and fry for 2 minutes.
- 1 kg stewing beef (chuck), in 4 cm chunks
4 Add the meat and stir until every piece is coated in the paste. Fry for 5 minutes.
- 800 ml coconut milk (2 tins)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
5
Pour in the coconut milk, add the salt and sugar and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down low.
Stage 1 (about 2 hours): simmer gently without the lid. Stir every 15 minutes. The meat becomes tender and the sauce reduces to a thick curry.
Stage 2 (about 1.5 hours): the coconut milk starts to split and turns brown. Now you need to stir more often, every 5 to 10 minutes, to stop it burning. The liquid keeps evaporating.
Stage 3 (last 30 minutes): the sauce is now a dark, oily coating that sticks to the meat. Stir all the time for the last 10 minutes. You know it's done when the meat is deep dark brown and clear oil sits at the edges.
Taste and add extra salt if needed. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving, ideally a few hours. Serve with white rice, yellow rice or ketan (sticky rice) and atjar tjampoer (pickled vegetables).
Ingredients
Step 1
- 8 shallots
- 6 garlic cloves
- 5 cm fresh ginger
- 5 cm fresh galangal (or extra ginger)
- 3 cm fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground)
- 4 red chillies (deseeded for milder)
- 2 lemongrass stalks (white part only)
Step 2
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (or sunflower oil)
Step 3
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 8 fresh lime leaves (or dried)
Step 4
- 1 kg stewing beef (chuck), in 4 cm chunks
Step 5
- 800 ml coconut milk (2 tins)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
Method
- 1 Clean everything and chop roughly. Put it in a food processor or tall beaker and blend into a smooth paste. Add 2 tbsp water to help it blend if needed.
- 2 Heat the pan first. Then heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Fry the bumbu for 8 to 10 minutes: the paste cooks through, loses its raw sharpness and the oil separates at the edges. In Indonesia this is called pecah minyak: the oil breaks through.
- 3 Add all the spices and fry for 2 minutes.
- 4 Add the meat and stir until every piece is coated in the paste. Fry for 5 minutes.
-
5
Pour in the coconut milk, add the salt and sugar and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down low.
Stage 1 (about 2 hours): simmer gently without the lid. Stir every 15 minutes. The meat becomes tender and the sauce reduces to a thick curry.
Stage 2 (about 1.5 hours): the coconut milk starts to split and turns brown. Now you need to stir more often, every 5 to 10 minutes, to stop it burning. The liquid keeps evaporating.
Stage 3 (last 30 minutes): the sauce is now a dark, oily coating that sticks to the meat. Stir all the time for the last 10 minutes. You know it's done when the meat is deep dark brown and clear oil sits at the edges.
Taste and add extra salt if needed. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving, ideally a few hours. Serve with white rice, yellow rice or ketan (sticky rice) and atjar tjampoer (pickled vegetables).
